According to People, the couple was walking home, hand in hand, when they were attacked.

The pair told LGBTQnation.com that “We normally never do it. Not really. We are not the provocative type. And in the year 2017 just cannot just walk hand in hand without getting hurled insults at your head.”

Pechtold and Koolemees were responding to a call from a Dutch journalist who suggested men hold hands in public to show solidarity with the couple.

Soon the hashtag #allemannenhandinhand, which translates to “all men hand in hand” according to People, began to trend and men in the Netherlands started to post pictures of them holding hands with other men, no matter their sexual orientation.